Rings

We previously assumed that the upcoming Rings was a sequel to the 2002 film starring Naomi Watts, but that’s not the case. The new horror film from director F. Javier Gutierrez will actually serve as a prequel to the first film, giving you an origin story for that creepy little dead girl in the TV—but didn’t we already get that origin story over the course of the first two films? What gives?

In a move that should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, Paramount has delayed the release of ‘Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension’ yet again. Meanwhile, the studio is also mixing up their horror schedule a bit, announcing an official release date for ‘The Ring’ reboot, ‘Rings,’ and moving up the release of their new ‘Friday the 13th’ installment. Given that the shifting of ‘Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension’ has become something of a running joke, we wouldn’t be shocked if the date changes at least a few more times before this thing finally hits theaters—if it ever does.

In 2002, a movie terrified a generation with seven simple words: “Before you die, you see the ring.” The ring of ‘The Ring,’ this creepy video tape (and the weirdo ghost attached to it), was based on a Japanese novel and subsequent movie adaptation but went on the great success and acclaim in its own right. (Many, this writer included, actually prefer Gore Verbinski’s American version to the original.) A not-so-hot sequel followed and then, well, nothing. Maybe the idea of a VHS tape that kills everyone who watches it started to lose its cache after VHS went extinct. Just a guess.